Portable building structure



April 27, 1948. L; R, RA MER" 2,440,449 v PORTABLE BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 6, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 27, 1948- R. RAEMER 2,440,449

PORTABLE BUILDING STRUCTURE 1 Filed Jan. 6, 1944 3 Shets-Sheet 2 Z/oyd 1?, fidemer ulffarrzqya April 27, 1948. L. RAEMER I 2,440,449

PORTABLE BUILDING STRUCTURE- Filed Jan. e, 1944 s Sheets-Sheet 3 v Ufa 0792215 Patented Apr. 27, 1948 PORTABLE BUILDING STRUCTURE Lloyd R. Raemer, Chicago, Ill. Application January 6, 1944, Serial No. 517,189

Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in portable building structures and more particularly to easily assembled prefabricated building structures designed to be readily assembled and disassembled and arranged compactly for storage or transportation.

Portable building structures of a kind to which this invention pertains have heretofore included demountable wall panels and roof sections of various types which were usually joined together in an involved and frequently costly manner. Moreover, such prior building structures often required fixed foundations or other permanent means to aiiord a solid base for the structures. Further, such known Structures were not adapted to be easily disassembled and compactly arranged for storage or transportation and were devoid of means to facilitate quick and easy assembly by persons lacking previous experience in the construction and assembly of such structures, and instead usually required the use and assembly of a multitude of specially constructed securing fixtures and complicated reinforcing devices or, if lacking such elements, were incapable of being assembled in a manner as would provide portability without sacrificing rigidity.

In view of the foregoing it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a portable building structure, of the kind referred to, that does not involve the use of an excessively large number of securing fixtures and which may be quickly and easily assembled and rigidly secured together to provide a firm structure by those not especially skilled in the building arts.

Another object of the invention is to utilize means common to all of the roof sections of a portable building structure which is easily mounted and highly efiicient to wedge the roof sections together tightly and into tight abutment with related wall panels so as to afford a self-reinforced structure.

Another object is to secure together a sectional wall structure in a novel manner and in such a way as to engage and support abutting edges of related roof sections.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a portable and demountable building structure with novel sectional anchor straps or channel members of a kind engageable with the margins of wall panels so as to thereby provide an enclosure in which sectional panels thereof are secured together in a novel and efiicient manner.

A further object is to provide novel means to be associated with a portable building structure of ture of the kind having demountable wall panels arranged with their margins engaged with an anchor strap or the like and including means to secure such panels to said straps embodying a construction to receive in cooperative engagement therewith devices to anchor the structure to a base support.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment and the principle thereof and which I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principle maybe used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portable and demountable building structure embodying features of the present invention; 7

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a wall panel;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a roof section;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one section of a panel receiving strap used in the structure;

Fig: 6 is an enlarged sectional plan view showing the abutment of several wall panels, the section being taken substantially on line 66 of Fig.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 1-! of Fig. 1;

Fig. Sis an enlarged detail sectional view of the roofsection securing means, taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 9 and 10 are perspective views of alternate forms of sectional panel receiving straps;

Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view of a fra ment of abutted wall panels, showing a modified construction;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a structure embodying a modified form of roof section;

Fig. 13 is a side elevational view of a fragment of a portable and demountable building struce ture embodying additional features of the present invention;

Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view taken on line ld-lt of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line l-l 5 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 16 is a side elevational View of another modified form of a portable building structure; and

Fig. 17 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line l'll'l of Fig. 16.

The portable building structure exemplifying features of the present invention and disclosed in the accompanying drawings is intended to be assembled upon a lawn or flag-stone or concrete floor and may be moved about easily'without being disassembled or knocked down and for the purpose of the present disclosure it is illustrated as including panels and roof sections having screening therein so as to provide What is commonly termed a summer house although it is to be understood that glass or other panels might be used in place of screen panels.

Referring specifically to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, the structure includes a plurality of substantially rectangular wall panels II and a door opening panel Ha arranged upright in longitudinal edge abutment to provide an enclosure wall of polygonal configuration. Each wall panel ll and the panel l la consists of a rectangular frame formed of uprights l2 and connecting top and bottom rails I3 and M respectively. As best illustrated in Fig. 3, the panels H may include an intermediate rail 15 and diagonal trusses It so as to thereby afford a rigid frame construction over which, in this instance, screening I1 is laid and fastened in a conventional manner. The uprights E2 of each panel preferably have their outside edges beveled, as at [B in Fig. 6, so that when assembled related edges will abut tightly against each other.

As hereinabove mentioned, the panels ii and l la are arranged in an upright position and when so arranged their bottom rails M are associated with a sectional foundation of ya kind consisting of a plurality of straps preferably in the form of [channels like that best illustrated in Fig. 5. These channels are each of such length as to receive the margin of one panel in an intermediate straight portion lea and they have angularly disposed extending portions ll-lb of a length to receive and extend desirably along one-half the width of the panels arranged on either side of the one rested in the intermediate portion. The other portions of the bottom margins of the panels so engaged by the extending portions I91) of the channel previously referred to are rested in similar angularly extending portions of like adjacent channel sections so that a continuous channel or foundation is afforded for all of the panels to thereby retain them in a position to define an enclosure of the desired shape.- Pins or bolts 2i are extended through aligned holes in the flanges of the channels l5 and the'bottom panel rails it so as to secure the panels to the foundation channel. Similar straps or channel sections 22 having intermediate portions 22a and angularly extending portions 221) are rested upon and embrace the top panel rails Hi to thereby provide a continuous header structure tying adiacent panels together at their upper ends so that their side edges is are retained in tight abutment. The header strap sections 22 however, are so positioned on the wall panels that 4 their abuting ends are joined on a wall pane that has its lower margin rested in the intermediate portion 19a, of the foundation channel l9. This staggering of the joints between the header and foundation strap sections further increases the rigidity of the structure.

Referring now to the detail structure best illustrated in Fig. 7 it will be observed that the header strap sections 22 are detachably secured over the top rails l3 of the engaged wall panels by novel L-shaped bolts 23 and nuts M which, for reasons to be explained presently, are not tightened when initially installed.

When the upright wall panels I I and door panel lla are arranged in the manner described they provide a continuous wall surrounding the structure enclosure. The wall structure thus provided serves to support a plurality of roof sections 25 which, as best shown in Fig. 4, are each substantially triangular in shape and include a base rail 25a and converging side rails 25b which define a frame structure over which screening 26 may be secured. The same number of roof sections 25 are provided as there are wall panels H and Ha and said roof sections are arranged in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 with their base rails- 25a defining the roof perimeter rested in abutment with the inside face of the header strap 22. The outside edge of the base rail 25a of each roof section preferably is beveled as shown in. Fig. 7 so that when the roof sections are laid one adjacent the other, to provide the substantially conical roof illustrated, the beveled edges have a surface abutment with the said straps 22. The polygonal roof structure thus afforded is supported in place by the L-shaped bolts 23 and to this end each base rail 25a has a hole 2'! which registers with one L-shaped bolt whereby the upstanding legs of said bolts may be extended therethrough. When the nuts 2d on the L-shaped bolts 23 are tightened the roof sections 25 are drawn tightly against the enclosure wall structure and are secured against displacement.

The apices of the mounted triangular. roof sections 25 merge at the center of the enclosure and these apices are demountably secured together by an assemblage best illustrated in Fig. 8. As there shown, a bolt 28' is inserted into a gap between the grouped apices of the roof sections 2%. Prior to inserting the bolt 28, a conical cap plate 29 isv slipped thereon so. as to overlie the grouped ends of the. roof sections and after insertion of the bolt, a bottom plate or washer ii is fitted onto the; bolt 23 and the assembly is drawn together tightly by screwing a nut 32 on the threaded end of said bolt.

It should be noted that the washer 3 t'isz'greater in diameter than the diameter of the cap plate 2e. Thus, when the nut 32 is tightened to draw the roof sections together, said roof sections are urged downwardly and outwardly radially and held thereby soas to afford a rigid roof structure which, in effect, has. its individual. sections tightly wedged between the apex assembly and the surrounding wall structure; The organization is thereby made Very rigid, and is, capable of withstanding normal wind pressures and abuse of ordinary usage. 'Further, a demountable housing structure. assembled in this manner can be moved about without danger of collapsing.

The wall panel lid is provided with a screened closure door 33 which is hung by hinges 34 on the outside face of the panel frame Ila in the manner best illustrated in Fig. 6. so that it is not liable to become bound or jammed should it or the panel frame sagor warp, as might occur were it mounted within and in the same plane as the frame structure.

Alternate forms of wall panel foundation and header strap sections are illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. In Fig. 9 a flat strap section 35 is provided with an intermediate portion 35a of a length equal to the width of a wall panel, and two angularly disposed end portions 351) each of a length equal to one-half the width of a panel section. The strap section 38 shown in Fig. 10, is substantially L-shaped in section and, like those previously described, includes an intermediate portion 36a and two angularly disposed end portions 3617.

Figs. 11 and 12 are respectively illustrations of modified forms of wall panels and roof sections. As shown in Fig. 11, the wall panels II which are otherwise like those described hereinabove, have squared edges 31 on their longitudinal side rails l2 so that when assembled in abutment one with the other only the inside corners of said edges engage in a line contact.

The roof section 25 illustrated in Fig. 12, likewise has a squared edge 38 on its base rail 25a so that it has a line contact with the surrounding wall structure. In other respects, a building structure employing these panels and roof sections may be as described hereinabove and like numerals indicate corresponding parts.

The fragmentary building structure illustrated in Figs. 13 to 15, inclusive, may embody any of the detailed structures described hereinabove but in this instance the pins or bolts previously used for securing the foundation straps M to the wall panels H are replaced by eye-bolts 39 having their loops disposed to the outside of the assembled wall structure so as to receive anchor stakes 4| by means of which the building structure is detachably but firmly secured to a base surface 42.

The demountable building structure shown in Figs. 16 and 17, is constructed like that illustrated in Fig. 1 and described hereinabove and it may embody the various modified forms of structure also hereinabove referred to. However, in this instance novel means is embodied in the structure to increase the rigidity of the assembly without detracting from the demountability and portability of the unit as a whole. Thus, a stringer in the form of a cable 43 is anchored at one end, as at 44, to one side rail of the door panel Na and is extended around the structure and has its other end anchored as at 415 to the other side rail of said door panel. A plurality of eyelets 46 or the like may be provided on the wall panels II to receive the cable therethrough so as to facilitate its installation and prevent displacement when installed. A turn-buckle 41 is included in the cable between its anchored ends so that after being strung through the eyelets 46 and anchored, the cable can be drawn taut about the wall structure so as to thereby pull and retain the various wall panels into tight abutment one with the other to increase the rigidity of the assembly. Warping, bowing or distortion of the panels under tension of the taut cable may be prevented by locating the cable at the height corresponding to the height of the intermediate rails E5 on the Wall panels. Thus, the wall panels are prevented from bowing outwardly under the weight of the roof sections and the entire assembly is made quite rigid.

'It should be understood that, although the wall panels and roof sections have been illustrated and described as having screening herein so as to provide what is commonly known as a summer house, all or any of said panels and sections may include solid walls or even glass or the like in place of the screening; that, the structure illustrated in various selected embodiments may be easily and quickly assembled into a rigid structure and easily and quickly diassembled and arranged compactlyfor storage or transportation; and that, the invention is capable of embodying a variety of modifications in detail structure without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

f I claim:

1. In a demountable building structure, a plurality of upright wall panels of predetermined width arranged in angular relation and edge abutment one to the other to provide an enclosure, a header on the upper edges of said panels connecting said panels together, a base on the lower edges of said panels connecting the panels together, said header and base each consisting of a plurality of interengaged rigid sections each of said sections including an intermediate portion of a length equal to the width of a panel and extending coextensively along and secured to an end edge thereof, and rigid extensions at each end of said intermediate portion in an angular relation to such portion corresponding to the horizontal angle between the panels joined thereby and each of a length less than the width of a panel and extending along and being secured to end edges of the last mentioned panels so that alternate of said panels have two such end extensions connected thereto.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1 in which said header and said base are of a channel-shape in cross section.

3. A portable building structure comprising a plurality of substantially rectangular wall panels, said panels being secured upright with the edges of adjacent panels in abutting relation to form a polygonal enclosure wall, a plurality of triangular roof sections arranged in a pyramidal relation over said wall to provide a substantially pyramidal roof over the enclosure and including converging upper end portions, means in the wall panels engaging said roof sections drawing the perimeter of the roof into tight abutment with the enclosure wall, and demountable means forcing the converging upper end portions of the triangular roof sections downwardly so as to wedge the lower end portions of the roof sections radially outwardly, said demountable means including a cap plate arranged above the converging upper end portions of said triangular roof sections at the apex thereof, a threaded member having a portion extending through an opening in the central portion of said cap plate, a washer arranged below the converging upper end portions of said roof sections and having a centrally arranged opening provided therein for the passage of the lower end portion of said threaded member, and a nut on the threaded end portion of said threaded member.

4. A portable building structure as defined inclaim 3 in which said cap plate and said washer are both substantially annular in shape and in which said cap plate is smaller in diameter than said washer.

5. A portable building structure as defined in claim 3 in which said cap plate, is substantially conical m shape and has apex extending upwar-ally at the apex of said ruof sections and has its base extending downwardly and in which the base of said substantially conical-shaped cap plate is smaller in diameter than the diameter of said washer.

LLOYD R. RAEMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Marvin Jan. 4, 1870 Number Number 

